It creeped up faster than I thought it would. The tournament season was over in what felt like a blink of an eye. But we didn't let what our plans were wait til the last minute.
Today's post is about what you can do to find the right fit if you plan on switching teams. It is never easy looking for a new team but having options and ideas of what you are looking for before roll into the tryout never hurts.
The easiest thing for what to do for next season is stay put or move up with in the same organization. That makes life easy but for many that isn't how this new season will start. There are a variety of reasons to find a new team, I won't go into them here, because if you are looking for a team you know why, you don't need me to tell you W H Y!
Due to trial and error and doing some research here is what I have come up with to help your daughter and your family find the right team:
Have an idea of what teams you want to play for. (be realistic on the level you play and where they play) Do you want a relaxed team, a state champ winner or do you want to see Nationals?
BIG TIP TIME: If you want to play college ball in your home state, do not get on a team that is doing tournaments out of state every weekend, or playing at the national level. This will not get you noticed by the very college you want to attract!
- Look for teams that you played where the coach impressed you while playing them.
- Have an idea where you want to go and don't just obtain info from a web site, we all know websites have the BEST info on a team and not the whole story.
- Find out where the try-outs are.
- You can find this info via news paper, local forums or word of mouth. I went here and here!
This is where the choice is made and the best info will be obtained - Email the coach or contact on the try-out ad. Ask the question you need answered. IE...how often do you practice, what is the budget, how many tournaments are you playing and what kind?
This is the time to add any good solid info you have on the player. Like a recruitment video and what her plans are for the future. I'd stay away from stats or making comments about playing time.
If they do not have the time to answer you, don't answer you, or give you info totally different than what you asked for, this tells you alot about the coach or organization. I'd give them one more chance because emails always get lost or sent to junk. If you get no response...I'd start looking else where.
Communication is the key to this search, why? You get to learn a few things by the response: If the coach is going to be there again, how happy they are to be in the position they are in, how interested they are in you, and just what kind of organization you are going to be headed to or looking at.
To some extent on a much smaller scale, you are doing the steps you would take to find the correct college to attend, you are going to be with this coach and these players/parents for at the very least, the next year.
At tryouts, look at how the girls on the team interact. Are they happy, having fun and look like they like each other? Do they pout, move slow and yell at one another?
How is the coach? well organized? Do the people there react well to his direction?
This is the time to talk to them and their assistants, do they seem to be on the same page? Do you get a good feeling about them? Do they have the time for you while there?
Let your gut reaction guide you here. This is your 1st impression of the team and the coach that will be setting an example for a team of 12+ young ladies and handling upwards of thousands of dollars.
TL; DR -
Find your team.
Ask your questions!
Communicate further?
Plan the tryout course!
Go to tryouts.
Have fun next year!
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